13 hours ago
Court doubles jail term of trailer driver who caused death of family of 4
Y Vethri Vel, 31, being escorted by police officers at the Taiping magistrates' court to be charged in 2020. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA : The Taiping High Court has doubled the jail term of a trailer driver convicted of driving dangerously and causing the death of a family of four in February 2020.
Justice Noor Ruwena Nurdin dismissed Y Vethri Vel's appeal against his conviction, four-year jail term and RM20,000 fine, before further increasing the sentence meted out on the 31-year-old.
The judge doubled Vethri's prison sentence to eight years and raised the fine to RM80,000, Harian Metro reported.
On Dec 13, 2023, Vethri was convicted of driving under the influence of alcohol and causing the death of the family of four at Km37 Jalan Ipoh-Kuala Kangsar at 10.20pm on Feb 13, 2020.
The deceased were Faiz Bakhari, 28, Nik Iedayu Nik Hassan, 30, Nik Ifeka Nik Hassan, 27, and 16-month-old Faqih Irsyad Faiz.
Deputy public prosecutor Waffy Ismail prosecuted, while Vethri, a father of two, was represented by lawyers Ranjit Singh Sandhu and Faazil Rahman.
Earlier, the lawyers sought for Vethri's sentence to be reduced to a good behaviour bond, but Waffy objected, saying the actions of the accused had led to the loss of four lives.
